TedToToe

Putting the inequality of UK based versus overseas based BAEC members to one side, the whole business versus leisure debate is an interesting one. Clearly, BA is courting the leisure traveller at a time when there is pent-up demand. Win them over and give them status, is not a bad strategy. Whereas, for business travellers, those corporate accounts and preference for time sensitive direct routings means business will come back, with or without extending status!

KARFA

Blimey

xenole

I've no idea if I got an extension last year. Was told nothing.
Ended up with 1100TP when my year ended on Dec 8th (one cancelled trip due to Covid that would have taken me over 1125)
Then got at least 1400TP in the following 10 days or so, so maintained Gold.

Just got the "year ends Dec 8th 2022, card expiry Jan 2023) so I've no idea if I've earned my status or been given an extra year (not that much use as nearly at GGL).

KARFA

Basically if you renewed anyway based on TP earnings, you would not have received any benefit from the extensions.

Jaenks

Motivation perhaps. Think GGL before 2020, 5000 TP to achieve and 3000 TP to maintain, both temporary lowered. Silver and Gold has been excluded for lower renewal, which was not previously. Although qualification and re-qualification threshold has been lowered but remain same.
Next month I'll have more TPs for Gold that needed, except those 4 BA/IB flights which I'll fly in the summer. Then will decide about GGL. My status extension is until March 2023.

orbitmic

I think that the answer is that this is not so much lower for renewal as, instead, higher for first qualification (to control the "gate"). Remember that before the changes, some years ago, GGL qualification was 5k "or" 3k two years in a row (ie effectively 3k renewal every year). The actual change was not to make renewal any easier than before, that wasn't changed, but simply to exclude those who had 3k two years in a row from entering GGL. Other threshold were not changed (except reduced thresholds for non-UK European residents which were ended and replaced by the standard UK numbers).

abligh

Perhaps that is true in general, but not universally. My business travel is mainly from a European Star Alliance base to the US - if I wanted direct routing I'd be on Star Alliance. BA was pre-Corona slightly cheaper (for which my employer incentivises me), and occasionally being able to stop in London was useful - and I had BA status before, so some inertia. But I'm not that weird - adding a few hours travel time on a transatlantic crossing is substantially less strange (to me) than travelling in economy which wipes me out for an additional day, and plenty of folk seem to do that. I was doing more substantially more than 5k TP a year (probably on business alone). However, if LX/LH status matched BA a few years ago, I'd probably be posting on a different board. Historically most of my points earning have been business (around 70%) with 30% leisure. This time I will most likely renew GGL with far fewer business transatlantic trips and (fingers crossed) rather a lot of double TP CE European leisure travel. This year I will be doing probably below 2k TP in business usage. I suspect (increased ability for folks to work effectively remotely) I will not be going back to anything like 5k TP for business per year.

carat22

And hopefully they will bring in a min spend to attain status for those leisure travellers, after all, who knew it only cost sub £2k to cross the pond with a potential added double tier bonus too.

FlyingScientist

Indeed, policy is still "essential travel only" given financial risks that are not covered by insurance.

Jaenks

I am non-UK, that is why the renewal threshold was different. I also remember that those 3k renewals did not included CCR which was always 5k per year. Currently which may mean temporarily it is same TP requirement as for GGL.

KARFA

Good idea. Perhaps a minimum spend by the customer, with spending by an employer not counting or only counting to some pot of benefits accruing to the employer?

Fatdickie

How much spend is paid for direct by the employer and how much by the passenger, then claimed back through expenses?
Business travellers would surely just revert to the later, claiming through expenses, if otherwise it didn't count towards their status?

KARFA

certainly possible, albeit my own employer insists that flights are booked via the TA and not by myself and expensed. But anyway, I am just teasing and making a little bit of a point

stephenjc

My TP year end is October 22 (card expiry November 22).

During the two dates I'll be getting 1200 TPs to renew Gold for 2 years (all personal travel paid for by me btw).

Will it automatically go to gold over 1125 points, or do I have to wait for the special process to happen on Jan. 1st 23?

KARFA

So for upgrades it processes as soon as you hit the level of TPs required. For renewals though I don’t think anything happens until you get to your year end.